User communication devices and wireless access networks communicate over wireless links to provide the users with various services, such a voice calls, web surfing, and media downloads. In the direction from the access network to the user devices, these wireless communications traverse forward links. In the direction from the user devices to the access network, the wireless communications traverse reverse links.
During a wireless communication session, various conditions may cause a loss of effective wireless communication which is referred to as a session drop. For example, excessive noise or distance may cause a session drop. In some cases, either the reverse link or the forward link will drop before the other link to leave a short time period when one link is still operational. In some cases, the remaining operational link may not drop at all.
After a session drop, the proximate user device typically provides a message to the user stating “signal faded” but the user on the other end of the session may not receive any notification at all. The user on the other end may attempt to continue the session, and if the forward link has failed, the person on the other end may still receive communications without realizing that their own communications are not getting through. In addition, both of the users (or the network) may attempt to reestablish the dropped session, but these efforts may not be effectively coordinated. Thus, confusion often occurs after a session drop and during the effort to re-establish the session.